Bradbury pleads guilty in Ipava murder case
There’s a plea agreement in a Fulton County homicide.
Kelly Bradbury, 43, of Beardstown was charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Donald Danner, whose body was found in his rural Ipava home in August 2023.
Bradbury was arrested about six weeks later.
Bradbury agreed to plead guilty to murder with mental illness. The agreement calls for a 34-year prison sentence, which she will serve in full, followed by three years of supervised release.
She will also pay $2,500 in restitution and court costs.
Bradbury’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 4.
Snowfall totals varied around the tri states
The winter storm that hit the region on January 5 and 6 dumped varying amounts of snow.
Higher snowfall totals were found in southern parts of the region.
The National Weather Service reported 9 inches of snow in Jacksonville, 8 in Hannibal, 7 in Beardstown, 6.5 in Quincy, 6 in Browning, and 5.8 in Canton, Mo.
Snowfall totals were lower just to the north of those communities.
Augusta got 3.7 inches, Lewistown reported 3.6 inches, Macomb, Canton, Ill, and Industry got 2.5 inches, Colchester received 2 inches, and Carthage and La Harpe got around 1 inch.
Areas reporting less than an inch of snow include Keokuk, Donnellson, and Montrose.
Toops named interim Burlington fire chief
The Burlington Fire Department has a new leader.
Nathan Toops was sworn in as interim fire chief at the Jan. 6 city council meeting.
Toops has been with the department since 2008 and most recently served as deputy chief.
Former chief Matt Trexel retired at the end of 2024, after working for the fire department for 27 years.
Macomb hires water plant manager
The Macomb city council agreed to appoint Stephen Cerven as water plant manager.
He had been interim manager for about a year and a half, and worked in the water plant prior to that.
Cerven’s appointment continues through the end of April 2027, which coincides with the end of the current mayoral term.
His starting salary is $99,000.
Monmouth to repair bar screen
The city of Monmouth is repairing a damaged piece of its wastewater treatment system.
A bar screen removes large debris such as trash or bricks from the wastewater flow.
Because of the damage, debris is beginning to cause issues downstream with more sensitive parts of the treatment system.
The city council approved paying $56,000 to remove the bar screen, repair it, and re-install it.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.